Power Memory International is a new brand of high-end memory for AnandTech, but PMI has been producing memory modules and IC components since 1990. Where the primary focus in the past has been OEM parts, PMI is now attempting to break into the memory module market with their own brands. The company shows a product line that includes desktop DDR and SDRAM memory, notebook memory, CTML-certified server memory, and their newest "Turbo Memory" for the computer enthusiast. The PMI line also shows memory module sizes up to 1GB.

One of the problems with new brands is getting attention from the computer press. PMI has been trying very hard to garner that attention by producing some of the fastest rated memory modules that you can buy. PMI calls this their "Turbo Memory" series.

The Turbo line includes memory from DDR333 to the DDR533 that we are testing here. However, with Corsair and OCZ producing DDR550 for bragging rights, PMI has just introduced DDR566 at CeBIT, which is the fastest rated memory that we have seen.

You may have told us before about the inability of the software to change the color, but I missed it. Thank you for doing so again. I am aware of the stratospheric bandwidth usage at Anand, and that is because you guys rock. Thanks for the excellent articles, and keep up the good work Wesley. I won't mention the colors again.Reply

TrogdorJW -The flash charts are much smaller than JPEG would be but I don't have any numbers to share. Email Jason Clark, who does our IT reviews, and I'm sure he can give you some idea of the bandwidth savings.Reply

Damn, Wesley... this is the first I've heard of this, and after looking back at the charts, I am only now discovering that you use Flash files for the graphs. Cool! I'm guessing that there's a Java application that is used to generate the graphs from some spreadsheet? Or are all the graphs generated in real time? Meaning, if there were an error in a graph, like a misplaced decimal or something, could you simply update the spreadsheet, or do you have to run the Java Graph utility as well? Either way, that's pretty friggin' cool. But then, I'm a programmer geek and like seeing such uses of technology.

If you don't mind answering, how large are the generated graph files? I would guess that in JPEG format they would be on the order of 30-50K each. What sort of savings do you get out of this?

Anyway, back to the memory being tested here. After the results not too long ago showing that low latency DDR400 timings with a 5:4 ratio on a P4 resulted in similar performance to 1:1 ration and higher timings, I really don't see much need for these "faster" DIMMs right now. My Mushkin can run 2-3-2-6 at PC3200, which is pretty close to the top. Seems like I can just run the system bus faster while keeping the memory bus at 400 MHz (200 MHz, actually) and still get similar performance. Or is that only the case with P4 systems?Reply

Probably PMI and OCZ go through the same manfacture like Dell or Alienware Laptops aren't really design by them. They just buy laptops from Clevo or Compro and retag their names on them. Creative Labs and PNY video card are retaged MSI cards. The only thing I see PMI copying is the packaging, if the price is lower then OCZ I would buy PMI.Reply

They're never going to make it. Not with a name like Pmi and a logo with nice rounded letters and a halo(?) around the 'i'. With all the big companies as close as they are at the top why would you buy this when you could have cool looking names like "HyperX" or "OCZ" on your memory?

Ok, I'm just kidding. It's weird how there's suddenly so much memory that is so close right around the top. I bet pricing plays the biggest factor in their success. Reply